Yes, Count me In. I want to add my support to the 2022 Annual Community Campaign!

Your generous support is helping the MVJF to adapt to changing interests and needs in our community and connect with more people through programming and assistance. During our fiscal year 2022, we plan to allocate funds to assist local synagogues develop new ways to maximize their potential. Perhaps they will test out new ways of serving their existing members or incubate programs that reach out to Jews who are not engaged in congregational life. Research suggests that more than 50% of self-identified Jews are not members of religious institutions, yet many of them yearn for Jewish connection.    

These studies, along with empirical evidence, has identified significant opportunities for the MVJF to build and strengthen Jewish connections through programming. These effort have successfully engaged with participants hereto for not involved with the Federation, and have generated program fees and donations to augment the annual campaign. 

• The Jewish Film Club, once merely the volunteer power behind our annual Jewish Film Festival, has morphed into “sequester series” with members screening films at home and meeting via Zoom. Begun in winter 2020, the 26 members of the club have met almost every two weeks, and to date has reviewed 37 films! Several club members are not affiliated with a synagogue, and many had not supported the MVJF.

• We have joined with 33 other Jewish Federations and congregations throughout the country to share the costs of programming so we can offer high quality, free and low cost expanded experiences to the Merrimack Valley. For example, this winter we are sponsoring an evening with actress Lainie Kazan, a presentation of Jews in the American Theater, and three virtual travel programs to Jewish Rome, Spain, and Venice.

We continue to be diligent and responsible with operating expenses. We have had to reduce staff and their hours. We are currently operating with 2 part-time employees. The Board of Directors has been planning with a 6 month horizon, the next 6 months to be determined by the success of our fundraising efforts.

If we continue at half-mast until we can return to live activities, we plan to resume an even more significant role in the Merrimack Valley and reinstitute grants to international organizations. Your support has and will continue to be important to our Federation and Merrimack Valley community.

Thank you so very much.